452 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  14,  1901. 
Beckenham  Horticultural  Society. 
Through  the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Carter  and  Co.  we  were  on 
Friday  last  privileged  to  listen  to  a  lecture  by  Mr.  E.  St.  J. 
Tucker  on  “  Sweet-smelling  Plants  and  Shrubs,”  with  limelight 
illustrations.  The  lecturer  first  gave  an  historical  sketch  of  the 
nations  that  attach  so  great  importance  to  the  uses  of  odorous 
herbs  and  trees,  the  various  fragrant  oils  and  resinous  gums  that 
are  extracted  therefrom,  some  of  which  are  burned  to  give  off 
their  fragrance  to  the  air,  others  for  embalming  the  dead,  and 
again  others  to  anoint  the  body  and  perfume  clothes,  furniture, 
&c.  A  number  of  views  from  photographs  were  put  on  the  screen, 
some  illustrating  successful  cultures  of  Lavender  (at  Wallington 
in  Surrey),  Roses,  Violets,  Tuberoses,  Narcissi  (South  of  France), 
while  others  showed  the  gathering  and  preparing  for  scent  ex¬ 
traction,  as  many  as  350,0001bs  weight  of  Rose  petals  being  dis¬ 
tilled  daily  through  the  month  of  May.  Mr.  Tucker  also  brought 
with  him  a  large  collection  of  seeds  of  aromatic  plants,  Fennel, 
Caraway,  Lavender,  Dill,  &c. ;  scented  woods,  such  as  Sandal 
wood,  Eucalyptus  citriodora,  Acacia  pendula,  Chinese  Joss-stick. 
Some  of  this  was  burned  in  the  room,  creating  a  pleasing  per¬ 
fume — Patchouli  leaves  Henna  leaves,  Tonquin  Beans,  Orris  root, 
gums,  Frankincense,  Myrrh,  Benzoin,  Camphor,  and  many  other 
substances,  forming  a  most  interesting  and  instructive  display. 
Mr.  Dowding  moved  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Tucker 
for  his  unique  lecture.  Mr.  Pope,  in  supporting,  regretted 
manv  more  were  not  present,  ladies  included.  They  missed  a 
treat- — T.  C. 
Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association. 
The  members  of  this  society  were  recently  treated  to  a  highly 
interesting  essay  on  “Landscape  Gardening,”  by  Mr.  William 
Miller,  The  Nursery,  Berkswell,  near  Coventry.  The  lecture 
was  illustrated  with  a  series  of  excellently  executed  and  elaborate 
plans  of  pleasure  grounds  by  the  essayist  himself.  A  comprehen¬ 
sive  view  of  the  grounds  and  gardens  at  Coombe  Abbey,  where 
Mr.  Miller  for  upwards  of  thirty  years  was  superintendent,  was 
given.  In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  it  may  be  also  mentioned 
that  the  highly  elaborate  one  he  designed  for  a  French  nobleman, 
and  which  was  “  hung  ”  at  the  Paris  Exposition  two  years  ago,  in 
competition  with  others,  was  an  object  of  much  attention. 
Another  design  was  that  for  a  public  park,  and  others  for  man¬ 
sions  and  villa  residences. 
Bristol:  Essay  on  “Lawns.” 
The  third  meeting  of  the  winter  session  was  held  at  St.  J ohn’s 
Rooms  on  Thursday,  November  7.  Mr.  Binfield  occupied  the 
chair.  This  was  the  evening  appointed  for  the  reading  of  the 
first  prize  essay  on  “  Lawns  and  Pleasure  Grounds,”  the  prize 
given  by  the  society  and  awarded  to  Mr.  Gardner,  of  Redland, 
who  deserves  great  credit  for  the  practical  way  his  paper  was  put 
together.  In  making  a  good  lawn,  much  attention  should  be 
paid  to  drainage  and  to  have  the  soil  in  good  condition, 
thoroughly  firm,  with  a  fine  friable  surface,  and  not  too  wet. 
Rubble  is  preferable  to  pipes  for  draining.  The  fertility  of  the 
soil  is  a  matter  of  great  importance,  as  grass,  being  a  fixed  crop, 
needs  just  as  much  nourishment  (or  more  so)  as  vegetables  or  any 
other  crop.  The  best  time  for  sowing  the  seed  is  between  March 
and  September,  March  to  May  being  preferred.  The  seed  should 
be  evenly  distributed,  and  this  is  best  done  by  making  two  sow¬ 
ings.  Rolling  is  essential  for  making  a  good  even  lawn.  The 
scythe  should  be  carefully  used  for  new  lawns  until  the  turf  is 
well  formed  and  settled.  Top-dressings  of  artificial  manure  are 
always  beneficial.  The  proper  and  tasteful  laying  out  of  the 
pleasure  ground  is  also  of  great  importance,  and  herbaceous 
plants  were  strongly  recommended  for  the  beds  and  borders. 
Flowering  shrubs  are  not  planted  as  much  as  they  deserve  to  be, 
said  Mr.  Gardner.  Their  flowers  in  the  spring  and  summer 
months,  and  their  foliage  and  fruit  during  the  autumn,  lend  a 
charm  to  all  gardens.  Ornamental  trees  are  an  acquisition  in  the 
pleasure  grounds  if  judiciously  chosen  and  planted.  The  walks  and 
drives  should  be  kept  free  from  weeds  and  moss  by  an  application 
of  one  of  the  many  weed-killers  now  on  the  market,  nothing  being 
more  obnoxious  than  weedy  paths  and  carriage  drives.  Mr. 
Gardner’s  paper  was  well  worthy  of  the  prize,  and  on  the  motion 
of  the  chairman  was  warmly  congratulated  on  his  success.  Prizes, 
given  by  Mr.  Brooke,  for  six  Japanese  Chrysanthemums  were 
awarded  to  Messrs.  Raikes,  Jenkins,  and  Atwell.  A  special  cer¬ 
tificate  of  merit  was  recommended  to  Mr.  Skinner  for  a  fine  lot  of 
Crotons.  The  society’s  consulting  entomologist,  Mr.  W.  G.  Smith, 
F.E.S.,  will  at  the  next  meeting,  on  the  28th  inst.,  give  a  lecture 
on  “  Ants  and  their  Ways,”  which  will,  no  doubt,  be  an  interest¬ 
ing  one  concerning  these  busy  insects. 
Croydon  and  District  Mutual  Improvement. 
The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  was  held  on  Monday  evening, 
November  4,  when  there  was  a  fair  attendance.  Mr.  P.  F.  Bun- 
yard  occupied  the  chair.  Mr.  Maslen,  Bramley  Hill  House, 
staged  a  nice  collection  of  fruit.  Mr.  W.  Wells  brought  up  from 
Earlswood  some  grand  blooms  of  Chrysanthemums,  including  the 
best  novelties.  The  evening  was  devoted  to  “  Questions  and  Dis¬ 
cussions  on  November  fruits  and  flowers,”  and  among  the  subjects 
taken  in  hand  was  summer  pruning  and  root-pruning  of  fruit 
trees,  outdoor  Grapes,  &c.  Chrysanthemums  were  in  strong  evi¬ 
dence  upon  the  table.  The  queen  of  autumn  flowers  naturally 
received  attention,  questions  of  cultivation,  &c.,  were  discussed, 
and  diseases,  especially  the  “  rust,”  were  dealt  with,  and  some 
good  suggestions  for  remedies  made.  The  questions  and  discus¬ 
sions  were  brief  and  to  the  point.  Messrs.  Humphreys,  Glass¬ 
cock,  Collins,  Bunyard,  Wells,  Maslen,  Gregory,  Boshier,  <ec., 
took  part.  To  Mr.  W.  Wells  and  Mr.  Maslen  votes  of  thanks 
were  voted  on  the  proposition  of  the  chairman  ;  a  similar  compli¬ 
ment  to  the  chairman  concluded  a  very  interesting  evening.  The 
next  meeting  will  be  held  on  November  19,  subject:  “Notes  cn 
the  cultivation  of  Malmaison  Carnations,”  by  Mr.  J.  F.  McLeod, 
gardener  to  G.  Morgan,  Esq.,  Dover  House,  Roehampton. — J.  G. 
Reading  and  District  Gardeners’  Association. 
A  new  departure  was  made  in  connection  with  the  fortnightly 
meeting  of  the  association,  held  on  the  4th  inst.  By  arrange¬ 
ment  with  the  authorities  of  the  Reading  College  a  lecture  was 
given  by  Mr.  Douglas  A.  Gilchrist,  B.Sc.,  Edin.  (Director  of  the 
Agricultural  Department)  in  the  lecture  hall  of  the  College  on 
“  Soils  and  Manures.”  Unfortunately,  the  fog  which  was  preva-- 
lent  prevented  “  country  ”  members  from  attending,  consequently 
the  attendance  was  not  so  large  as  was  expected.  Mr.  Leonard 
G.  Sutton,  the  President  of  the  association,  presided.  Mr.  Gil¬ 
christ,  in  introducing  his  subject,  said  that  he  wished  to  bring 
before  them  two  particular  points  :  First,  the  supply  of  water  to 
soils ;  and,  secondly,  the  most  economical  way  of  manuring  soils. 
The  lecturer  explained  in  an  interesting  manner  the  different 
classes  of  soils  in  the  Reading  district,  their  formation  and 
cropping  value,  passing  on  to  water  in  soils,  the  means  of  retain¬ 
ing  moisture  in  soils,  and  finally  referred  to  manures.  The  lec¬ 
ture  was  more  easily  followed  on  account  of  the  excellent 
diagrams  and  maps  placed  before  the  audience,  many  of  which 
had  been  specially  made  for  the  meeting.  A  discussion  followed, 
in  which  the  President,  Messrs.  Neve,  Hinton,  Dore,  Alexander, 
Fry,  and  Wilson  took  part.  Mr.  F.  Lever,  The  Gardens,  Hill¬ 
side,  exhibited  a  beautifully  flowered  Cattleya  labiata.  Three 
new  members  were  elected. 
Wolverhampton  Horticultural  Club. 
At  the  monthly  winter  meeting  of  this  society,  with  Mr. 
J.  F.  Simpson  (the  chairman  of  the  club)  presiding,  Mr.  W. 
Gardiner,  of  Birmingham,  by  special  request,  read  an  essay  on 
“  Pear  Culture,”  including  also  that  published  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  April  28,  1892,  read  by  Mr.  Fred  M.  Mole,  Edgbas- 
ton,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Birmingham  Gardeners’  Association,  as 
illustrative  of  cultivating  the  Pear  near  manufacturing  towns  like 
Birmingham.  In  the  discussion  that  followed  the  chairman  ad¬ 
verted  to  several  of  the  numerous  varieties  of  Pears  under  his 
own  charge.  Mr.  Tom  Dobbs  (Messrs.  Dobbs  Bros.,  Wolver¬ 
hampton)  commented  on  the  use  of  the  Quince  stock.  The  much- 
discussed  question  of  the  injurious  or  non-injurious  action  of 
galvanised  wire  when  in  close  contact  with  the  young  branches 
of  fruit  trees  was  also  raised,  but  nothing  definite  was  elicited. 
Mr.  Mole,  however,  in  his  essay,  inductively  appears  to  acknow¬ 
ledge  the  injurious  effects  of  galvanised  wTire,  by  recommending 
it  to  be  covered  with  two  coats  of  paint,  though  he  did  not 
exactly  say  so. 
Apple  Bielo  Borodawka. 
We  illustrate  a  new  variety  of  Apple  offered  by  Messrs.  Geo. 
Bunyard  and  Co.,  of  Maidstone,  which  is  described  in  their 
catalogue  as  “  a  Russian  novelty,  medium  in  size,  with  flesh  of  a 
soft  and  aromatic  flavour,  rich,  and  a  useful  variety  for  dessert.” 
On  Dwarfs  it  is  a  regular  and  heavy  bearer,  which  points  of 
merit  our  figure  justifies.  It  somewhat  resembles  a  Duchess  of 
Oldenburg  in  colour  and  shape,  but  ripens  later  in  September, 
and  is  firmer. 
Quassine  on  Trial ! 
I  should  feel  ever  so  grateful  to  you  (writes  a  New  Zealand 
reader)  for  a  trial  sample  of  the  insect-destroying  preparation, 
Quassine,  recently  referred  to  in  the  Journal.  Should  you  be 
pleased  to  send  it  to  me  at  once,  by  the  time  it  reaches  me  vege¬ 
table  pests  will  be  rife  here,  and  I  should  like  ever  so  much  to 
give  the  Quassine  a  trial.  If  it  comes  near  the  mark  I  shall  not 
fail  to  mahe  its  qualities  known  in  the  Colony,  where  it  should 
have  a  great  sale. — A.  J.  L. 
